Fuel reformation for use in high speed propulsion systems
AssigneeInnoveering, LLC
InventorsDean Modroukas, Robert Bakos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel reformation system includes a fuel delivery system that supports fuel, an oxidizer delivery system that supports an oxidizer, a mixer/vaporizer system in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system and the oxidizer delivery system, and a fuel processing reactor system. The mixer/vaporizer system receives the oxidizer from the oxidizer delivery system and the fuel from the fuel delivery system to mix and vaporize the oxidizer and fuel into a first effluent. The fuel processing reactor system receives the first effluent and reacts with the first effluent to generate a second effluent in the form of hot syngas for selective injection into a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.
Claims24
A fuel reformation system, comprising:
- a fuel delivery system configured to support fuel;
- an oxidizer delivery system configured to support an oxidizer;
- a mixer/vaporizer system in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system and the oxidizer delivery system, the mixer/vaporizer system configured to receive the oxidizer from the oxidizer delivery system and the fuel from the fuel delivery system to mix and vaporize the oxidizer and fuel into a first effluent;
- and
- a fuel processing reactor system configured to receive the first effluent and react with the first effluent to generate a second effluent in the form of hot syngas for selective injection into a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system, the fuel processing reactor system configured to pre-heat and vaporize the fuel to enhance atomization and combustion into the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.
A method for heating a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system, the method comprising:
- delivering jet fuel and an oxidizer to a mixer/vaporizer to generate a first effluent;
- delivering the first effluent to a fuel processing reactor system to generate a second effluent in the form of a hot syngas;
- pre-heating the jet fuel to enhance atomization and combustion into the high speed, air breathing propulsion system;
- and
- selectively injecting the hot syngas into the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.
A combustor heat exchanger for a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system, comprising:
- a metal substrate layer coated with catalyst and defining fuel cooled channels, the catalyst including an interdiffusion layer and a catalytically active layer that are configured to cause an exothermic catalytic partial oxidation reaction when the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system is traveling at a first set of Mach numbers and an endothermic reaction when the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system is traveling at a second set of Mach numbers that are higher than the first set of Mach numbers.
A fuel reformation system, comprising:
- a fuel delivery system configured to support fuel;
- an oxidizer delivery system configured to support an oxidizer;
- a mixer/vaporizer system in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system and the oxidizer delivery system, the mixer/vaporizer system configured to receive the oxidizer from the oxidizer delivery system and the fuel from the fuel delivery system to mix and vaporize the oxidizer and fuel into a first effluent;
- and
- a fuel processing reactor system configured to receive the first effluent and react with the first effluent to generate a second effluent in the form of hot syngas for selective injection into a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system, the hot syngas configured to preheat the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system when injected into the high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.